As wireless communication systems and devices have grown in popularity and functionality, users of wireless communication devices (WCDs) have come to expect a high level of performance from radio access networks (RANs) within a wireless communication system. In addition to expecting a high level of performance from RANs, users have become increasingly reliant on the ability to use their WCDs in remote locations, such as rural roadways, parks, undeveloped tracts of land, and other areas geographically distant from transmitters within a wireless communication system.
Regardless of the growing expectations of users, the power required to transmit information to a WCD generally increases with the distance between a transmitter in the RAN and the WCD. To ensure sufficient coverage to users within a particular coverage area the RAN will typically deny an access probe sent from a WCD that is physically located outside of a predetermined radius from the transmitter. If the WCD is unable to connect with a RAN in one wireless communication system, the WCD may attempt to establish a connection with a roaming partner of the wireless communication system. However, when a user connects to a roaming partner, the user may be subjected to a limited ability to communicate with others and access data, charged additional fees, and exposed to other degradations in the overall user experience.